Public Statements

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney today announced federal legislation that would create paid family and medical leave. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program, ensuring that American workers would no longer have to choose between a paycheck and caring for themselves or a family member.

"When a young parent needs time to care for a newborn child -- it should never come down to an outdated policy that lets her boss decide how long it will take -- and decide the fate of her career and her future along with it. When any one of us -- man or woman -- needs time to care for a dying parent -- we should not have to sacrifice our job and risk our future to do the right thing for our family. Choosing between your loved ones and your career and your future is a choice no one should have to make," said Senator Gillibrand.

"When my kids were babies, I was able to care for them. As my parents age, I want to be there for them. None of my neighbors in the Hudson Valley should have to struggle to put food on the table while caring for a newborn child or elderly parents. When President Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act over twenty years ago, tens of millions of Americans no longer had to choose between their family or their paycheck, and this long overdue update will ensure all Americans can care for their loved ones," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a former senior advisor to President Clinton.